Ruiz sets record to win county golf title

Camarillo grad earns eight-shot win

Alex Romo hits the ball off the 11th tee at the Buenaventura Golf Course during the final round of the Ventura County Golf Championships Monday.

Special to The Star

Sporting a red shirt and black pants, Johnny Ruiz looked a lot like Tiger Woods as he entered the final round of the 2012 Ventura County Golf Championship at Buenaventura Golf Course.

But the former Camarillo High standout didn't just look the part, he also played on Sunday like Woods, when Tiger wasthe most dominant player in the world.

Ruiz began the round with a four-shot lead over ZackKanny, then proceeded to shoot a blistering 7-under 28 on the front nine.

The phenomenal start not only gave Ruiz a double-digit lead heading into the back nine, it also made his closest pursuers realize they were playing for second.

After a tough start to his back nine, Ruiz made birdies on two of his last three holes, helping him fire an 8-under62 to post a new tournament low of 17-under 197 for an eight-shot win.

Oxnard resident Alex Romo had a career-low 6-under 64 on Monday to finish second at 9-under 205. Kanny shot a 3-under 67 and finished a shot behind Romo.

"I was a spectator today with a great seat to watch what Johnny was doing," Romo said after the round. "I got off to a decent start today but then Johnny eagles back-to-back holes on three and four and I felt like I was over par compared to him.

"It was a lot of fun to be in the same group and try to compete with him today. I think we all fed off each other."

Sunday's record-setting round was a little bit of a surprise to Ruiz, who said he was struggling with his game just a few weeks ago. He said he had been inconsisent off the tee and was also having difficulty making putts.

Thanks to a new grip, Ruiz putted beautifully over the three-day tournament.

"My putting was one of the keys to playing well this week," Ruiz said. "With this new grip. my right hand leads. It feels really good and that gave me a lot of confidence when I was putting."

Ruiz opened the round with a par, and then made birdie on the par-4 second. He drove the green on the 316-yard third hole with his ball stopping just 4 feet from the cup. He sank the eagle putt, then followed with a more conventional eagle on the par-5 fourth hole.

By the time he birdied the eighth hole, Ruiz said admitted he had thoughts of a special number.

"I started thinking about shooting under 60," Ruiz said. "But then I made a bogey on the 10th hole (a par5) and it calmed me down. I struggled on the next few holes, but then I hit a good drive on 13 and ended up making a birdie that got me going again."

Playing with a large lead can sometimes lead to lapse in concentration, which Ruiz admitted he felt as the round wore on.

"It showed me how you need to stay calm and patient and just focus on the next shot," Ruiz said. "It feels good to play well and set a new record."

Romo didn't set any tournament records, but his 64 was the lowest round he's ever recorded in tournament play.

The former Villanova Prep standout was hoping to do better than his third-place showing in last year's county championship.

He was successful following a spirited battle with Kanny over the final 18 holes. Both players knew Ruiz was going to win the title, but each did his best for the second spot.

Romo made birdies on two of his last three holes to nip Kanny for runner-up status. The tournament was a confidence boostfor Romo, who hopes to land a starting spot on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo golf team.

"Playing so well gives me a lot of momentum going forward," Romo said. "Even though we knew Johnny was going to win, Zack and I really competed hard. It was a lot of fun."

Kanny was also pleased with his performance After hurting his knee earlier this summer, Kanny is healthy enough to swing without any pain.

"I have been practicing more and the work showed this week," Kanny said. "I was really comfortable the last two days. I didn't make a lot of putts, but I hit the ball well and I'm happy with that."

In other flights:

Jose Tristan of Camarillo was two shots behind going into the final round of the A Flight, but posted a net 66 to earn a two-shot win over Ventura's Ken Wiksell.

Dave DeCoste of Camarillo won the B flight by eight shots over Oxnard's David Schwartz. DeCoste finished with a net 201.

Joseph Ortega won the C flight with a three-day net total of 216. His son Joe Ortega, Jr., won the E flight, besting Alan Chien in a two-hole playoff.

Santa Barbara resident Francisco Malacara won the D flight with a net 206.

In the first Women's Championship held, Ventura resident Janey Dunn won the gross title with a 233.

"I only moved to Ventura a few years ago, so this is my first time playing," Dunn said. "Playing with the lead today, I just tried to play my own game and make someone shoot a low score to catch me."